Strawberry Shortcake
by Nayuki-Bunny
Summary: It made him think of her in the same way: a sweet taste in his mouth, soft colors, and a simple flavor that shocked his senses; 50 sentences, companion to "Strawberry Wine."


**because I had such a great time writing "Strawberry Wine," I just had to write a sequel of sorts from Ichigo's POV in the same format. don't worry though, this one has new words, but it crosses over slightly with "Strawberry Wine." this was actually really hard to do, my sister, dandelion-heart, had to help me out with a few, but I think it turned out nicely and I hope you all enjoy! **

**(and just so you know, number 17 is a direct quote)**

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#01 – Ring

Her voice was pleading as she called out to him, the tone echoing in his head with a desperate ring before it all faded to black.

#02 – Hero

To himself, he was nobody's hero, doing what was only necessary and fair, but for some illogical reason he had to be the one to save her.

#03 – Memory

That one time a year, she never questioned him why, leaving him alone to reacquaint with his memories.

#04 – Box

On Valentine's Day, he found an unopened box of chocolates addressed to him and stuffed in a school trashcan.

#05 – Run

He learned it from her to run beside his friends, then pull ahead so they wouldn't have to wait for him.

#06 – Hurricane

He didn't like dwelling on it, but that one time he lost all control in a hurricane of bloodlust and destruction, the one rational thought he remembered was obliterating anything that hurt her.

#07 – Wings

Sometimes she thanks him so profusely for the smallest things, he thinks he must've awkwardly sprouted a halo and wings.

#08 – Cold

He chose to avoid her cooking whenever possible, but on some occasions, when her hopeful gaze was too much for him to refuse, he'd accept and be sick for the rest of the week under the pretense of a head cold, regardless of the weather.

#09 – Red

She was white with flecks of red: soft and pure, but determined and strong when the need arose.

#10 – Drink

He had known it was a bad idea for her to tag along with Rangiku-san when she went drinking.

#11 – Midnight

He has vivid dreams of lying asleep with a soft voice murmuring ambitions and half-confessions over him, but when he awakens, his only company is the glowing digits signaling midnight from his clock.

#12 – Temptation

"Aren't you ever even tempted?" scoffs Kon, but he shoves his foot in the plushy face before he can think about the question seriously.

#13 – View

"Rukia is one of my very best friends," he had said to her slowly, "I could never view her in that way."

#14 – Music

He had to explain yet again that no, they were not dating, as she obliviously fluttered from CD to CD behind him.

#15 – Silk

She was like silk, shifting and glimmering with smiles, but silently rippling with secrets.

#16 – Cover

She worried him by getting into accidents so often that he half-considered tossing her in some container and sealing it with a cover.

#17 – Promise

"Inoue, I… Next time, I'll definitely protect you!"

#18 – Dream

Once he dreamt that she was in his bed, tangled up in the sheets; he'd jumped out so fast, heart hammering in his ears, that he tripped and fell flat on his face.

#19 – Candle

Her silhouette is like a candle's delicate flame in the darkness that is Hueco Mundo.

#20 – Talent

Everyone had seemed surprised that she was so talented despite the slight air-headedness, but he was surprised nobody had seen it before.

#21 – Silence

He was too shell-shocked to answer, but the silence stretched longer and longer as he realized that she really hadn't said it to someone standing directly behind him.

#22 – Journey

It had been arduous to reach her, but his real journey was now in bringing her back.

#23 – Fire

Had the fire raging within him been released as he told Grimmjow to let her go, it would've scorched the Espada to embers.

#24 – Strength

It wasn't her strength he was worried for, he knew she could hold out; it was himself he doubted that wouldn't be strong enough to bring her back untouched.

#25 – Mask

If he had had a choice, that look of blank fear in her eyes would've been more than enough reason to tear off that accursed mask.

#26 – Ice

Hearing her labeled as a traitor had chilled his blood colder than ice.

#27 – Fall

She always had so many scratches and bruises from falls and silly accidents and would be quiet until they reached his house where she'd start babbling in a frenzy as he'd fix her up.

#28 – Forgotten

He was quite sure she had her umbrella that morning, but she loudly insisted, with a few odd glances back at Tatsuki, that she had forgotten it.

#29 – Dance

To him, life was something she danced through, graceful turns and falls with a sweet melody following shortly after.

#30 – Body

Karin claimed she didn't care who went in his room until someone with Orihime's body followed him in.

#31 – Sacred

He didn't know if there was a Kami-sama or not, but if there was, he must have created her with a smile.

#32 – Farewells

He never told anyone, but he was somehow sure that the farewell she wrote in the margins of a notebook wasn't the only one she had left behind.

#33 – World

The world came after saving those dear to him.

#34 – Formal

He never liked getting all suited up for special occasions, but when she giggled with Rukia over what to wear, he felt obligated to.

#35 – Fever

She fell on top of him once and the feverish heat that had spread through him wouldn't leave for the rest of the day.

#36 – Laugh

She was the only one he knew who could trip on air and laugh it off, completely unembarrassed.

#37 – Lies

He wished she wouldn't lie to him so bravely that she wasn't hurting.

#38 – Forever

How she could so easily pledge herself to him forever?

#39 – Overwhelmed

He just might have been slightly overwhelmed to know that she was perfectly willing to die for him.

#40 – Whisper

Once she had whispered something in his ear and he caught a whiff of strawberries in her hair.

#41 – Wait

Each time he tires, he grits his teeth and fights harder because each second makes her wait longer.

#42 – Talk

She likes to talk excitedly about things that barely make sense and he finds it strangely comforting to listen.

#43 – Search

He had thought it only natural to offer to help search her house for the lost hair pins, but she'd unexpectedly gotten flustered and stammered that she'd manage.

#44 – Hope

He never pressed her, but he hoped she knew she could confide in him just as well as anyone else.

#45 – Eclipse

How could one person so effectively trigger an utter eclipse of his self-control?

#46 – Gravity

The gravity of the situation only fully set in on him when he realized just how many people were in his way to reaching her.

#47 – Highway

She told him once that she liked the solitary feel of walking by the highway at night with cars whizzing by, but he had yelled that it was stupid and dangerous and made her swear not to do it again.

#48 – Unknown

For some unknown reason, whenever they all go out as a group of friends, he ends up sitting next to her.

#49 – Lock

Tatsuki had told him once that every lock has a key, but he hadn't understood the meaning of the intense gaze she had fixated on him right after.

#50 – Breathe

He breathes apologies to her again and again in his dreams for taking so long.

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**reviews are always appreciated, flamers, save yourselves the trouble.**

**if you haven't read "Strawberry Wine," here's the link (just get rid of the spaces): www. fanfiction secure/story/story_preview. php?storyid=5202149&chapter=1 **

**it's the same format, different words.**


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